Various accessory components are currently available in the marketplace for use with, or in conjunction with operation of, a vehicle. One exemplary accessory component is a telematics unit that is configured to provide a driver of a vehicle with telematics services (e.g., unlocking vehicle doors, collision detection, navigation assistance, etc. . . . ) Some of the services that can be provided by an accessory component may require the accessory component to transmit a command across the vehicle's communication bus (hereinafter, “vehicle bus”). For example, an accessory component that is configured to unlock a vehicle's door when the driver is locked out of his or her vehicle will need to send a command to the vehicle's body control module instructing the body control module to unlock the door.
The control systems for each make and model of vehicle in the market place require the transmission of a unique command to accomplish each vehicle function such as a door unlock function. As a result, a door unlock command transmitted over the vehicle bus of a first vehicle that was manufactured by a first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will not be effective to unlock the vehicle door of a second vehicle manufactured by a second OEM. This is not problematic when the accessory component is embedded into the vehicle by the OEM during vehicle assembly because each OEM is aware of its own unique commands for each vehicle function.
However, aftermarket accessory components (i.e., accessory components that are not assembled to the vehicle during vehicle assembly by the OEM and/or accessory components that are sold directly to the consumer in a separate sales transaction) that are configured to provide services that require the transmission of a command across a vehicle bus face a challenge arising out of the uniqueness of each command that is needed to actuate each vehicle function. To obtain each unique command for each vehicle function for each vehicle model for each model year for each OEM can be a laborious, time consuming, and expensive task.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method for teaching an aftermarket accessory component how to actuate a vehicle function without assembling a database of unique commands for each vehicle function for each vehicle model for each model year for each OEM. In addition, it is desirable to provide an aftermarket accessory component that is configured to learn how to actuate a vehicle function without having access to such a database. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.